Filling extruding machine with switchable horizontal and vertical feeder paths for making three-layer filled food products

ABSTRACT

A filling extruding machine for making three-layer filled food products is provided. Three independent materials, namely an outer material, an intermediate material, and an inner material, are simultaneously fed by three feeding mechanisms, respectively, and then output and clipped into three-layer filled food products. The filling extruding machine is characterized in that a central guide column, which is connected to a horizontal feeder and a vertical feeder, can have its orientation changed by 180 degrees so as to switch the feeding positions of the outer material and the intermediate material and thereby eliminate the need to change the contents of the feeders.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to a filling extruding machine which isconfigured for making three-layer filled food products and hasswitchable horizontal and vertical feeder paths so that threeindependent materials, namely an outer material, an intermediatematerial, and an inner material, can be simultaneously fed, output, andclipped into filled food products having three layers of materials. Thefilling extruding machine is characterized in that a central guidecolumn, which is connected to a horizontal feeder and a vertical feeder,can have its orientation changed in order to switch the materials thatare output as the outer material and the intermediate material, therebyeliminating the need to change the contents of the feeders.

2. Description of Related Art

Filled food products generally have two layers, i.e., a pastry layermade typically of dough and a filling wrapped therein, so as to provideenhanced texture and flavors. Basically, the material feeding mechanismsused in making two-layer filled food products are either two verticalfeeders or two horizontal feeders from which the outer material and theinner material are pushed out respectively by screws. The outputmaterials are then clipped and molded to form the desired two-layerfilled food products.

Recently, three-layer filled food products have been successfullydeveloped to bring the art of filled food to a higher level. With anouter pastry layer and two layers of differently flavored fillings,three-layer filled food products are further enhanced in texture andtaste. To make three-layer filled food products, the inner material issupplied by a vertical feeder while the intermediate material and theouter material are pushed out by screws from two vertical or horizontalfeeders, respectively. Then, the output materials are clipped and moldedinto the desired three-layer filled food products.

As is well known in the art, the outer material and theintermediate/inner material of a two- or three-layer filled food productusually have totally different characteristics. For instance, the outerpastry layer is different from the filling(s) in both hardness andflexibility. Therefore, if the different materials are fed by feedingmechanisms having the same design, the characteristics of the materialsmay be adversely affected, and moreover, the materials may be fedunevenly, thus leading to inconsistent product weight.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Motivated by the aforesaid drawbacks of the conventional fillingextruding machines for making two- or three-layer filled food products,the inventor of the present invention put years of practical experienceinto research and experiment and finally succeeded in developing afilling extruding machine with switchable horizontal and vertical feederpaths for making three-layer filled food products. The present inventionat least involves the following inventive steps:

1. While the inner material is still fed vertically as in theconventional manner, a vertical feeder and a horizontal feeder areprovided on the left and right sides of the machine, respectively, forfeeding the outer and intermediate materials. Thus, the differentcharacteristics of the outer, intermediate, and inner materials can allbe taken into account to meet quality requirements.

2. A central guide column is connected to the horizontal feeder and thevertical feeder and can be fixed in two different orientations thatdiffer by 180 degrees. In addition, the central guide column isinstalled therein with a guide tube having a unidirectional opening.Therefore, the materials output as the outer material and theintermediate material can be easily switched by changing the orientationof the central guide column, without having to change the contents ofthe feeders.

3. The horizontal feed of the machine is implemented via two separatedriving systems and two compression systems. More specifically, thehorizontal feeder is provided therein with a two-screw compressionfeeding structure and has an end mounted with a pressure-enhancedtumbling rod, wherein the pressure-enhanced tumbling rod isindependently driven and peripherally provided with a plurality oftumbling blades. Hence, smooth feeding is ensured jointly by thetwo-screw compression and the pressure-enhanced tumbling action.

4. A left guiding device is provided between the vertical feeder and thecentral guide column, and a right guiding device between the horizontalfeeder and the central guide column. Each of the left and right guidingdevices is installed therein with a tumbling rod which is peripherallyprovided with tumbling blades, so as to guide the outer material and thefilling from the horizontal and vertical feeders into the central guidecolumn evenly and smoothly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention as well as a preferred mode of use and the advantagesthereof will be best understood by referring to the following detaileddescription of an illustrative embodiment in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a left perspective view of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a right perspective view of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a left perspective view of the main structure of the presentinvention;

FIG. 4 is a right perspective view of the main structure of the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 is a partially exploded perspective view of the main structure ofthe present invention;

FIG. 6 is another partially exploded perspective view of the mainstructure of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a central guide column and guidingdevices of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing operation of the main structure ofthe present invention;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing operation of the central guide columnof the present invention; and

FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing operation of the central guidecolumn of the present invention after the central guide column isrotated to a different position from that shown in FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 for an embodiment of the presentinvention, a filling extruding machine with switchable horizontal andvertical feeder paths for making three-layer filled food productsincludes a transmission box 11 disposed on top of a support 1. Drivingmotors M1, M2 are bilaterally provided below the transmission box 11while an upper cover 12 sits above the transmission box 11. A pluralityof transmission gears and transmission mechanisms are provided insidethe transmission box 11 and connected to the driving motors M1, M2. Avertical column 2 is located above the upper cover 12 and adjacent tothe center thereof. A horizontal feeder 3 and a vertical feeder 4 arebilaterally provided above the upper cover 12. A beam 21 extending abovethe vertical column 2 has an end mounted with a driving motor M3. Ascrew 22 extends downward from the main shaft of the driving motor M3into a central feeder 13. A driving motor M4 is disposed below thevertical column 2.

Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the horizontal feeder 3 is providedtherein with two screws 31, 32 which are coupled to and driven by thedriving motor M1. A pressure-enhanced tumbling rod 33 is provided at theoutput end of the horizontal feeder 3. As shown more clearly in FIG. 6,the pressure-enhanced tumbling rod 33 is longitudinally formed withcross-shaped slots 330 for receiving two pairs of symmetric tumblingblades 331, 332, respectively. Moreover, eccentric orbit rings 333, 334are mounted around the two ends of the pressure-enhanced tumbling rod33, respectively, wherein the eccentric orbit ring 333 is furtherassembled with an eccentric orbit seat 335. Therefore, when thepressure-enhanced tumbling rod 33 is rotated, the symmetric tumblingblades 330, 331 press against each other to provide an enhanced tumblingeffect.

The pressure-enhanced tumbling rod 33 is driven by the driving motor M4located below the vertical column 2. Thus, the two screws 31, 32 in thehorizontal feeder 3 and the pressure-enhanced tumbling rod 33 are drivenby separate motors, with a view to pushing forward the dough or fillingin the horizontal feeder 3 in an even and effective way.

The vertical feeder 4 is provided therein with a screw 41. The screw 41is coupled to the driving motor M2 so as to be driven thereby.

As shown in FIG. 5 to FIG. 7, the output ends of the horizontal feeder 3and the vertical feeder 4 are connected to and in communication with theinput ends of guiding devices 34, 42, respectively. The guiding devices34, 42 are provided therein with tumbling rods 35, 43, respectively, andthe tumbling rods 35, 43 are peripherally provided with a plurality oftumbling blades 36, 44, respectively. Furthermore, the tumbling rods 35,43 are driven by the transmission mechanisms connected to the drivingmotors M1, M2.

The guiding devices 34, 42 have output connecting tubes 37, 45 which areconnected to and communicate with a central guide column 5. The centralguide column 5 is a hollow tube whose upper end is covered by an uppercover plate 51 and fixedly mounted with the central feeder 13 such thatthe central guide column 5 is in communication with the central feeder13. Also, the central guide column 5 is externally and symmetricallyprovided with a pair of dovetail slots 52, 53. An outer guide tube 54 isplaced and secured inside the central guide column 5. The outer guidetube 54 has a tube wall formed with a through hole 55. The through hole55 corresponds in position to the output connecting tubes 37, 45 of theguiding devices 34, 42 and is in selective communication with one of theoutput connecting tubes 37, 45. Besides, a curved block 5A is providedon an inner surface of the central guide column 5 below the through hole55. In addition, an inner guide tube 56 is placed and secured inside theouter guide tube 54. The inner guide tube 56 has an opening 57 incommunication with the output hole at the bottom of the central feeder13.

Referring to FIG. 7, inside the central guide column 5, a communicationgap G1 is formed between the outer periphery of the outer guide tube 54and the inner periphery of the central guide column 5, and acommunication gap G2 is formed between the outer periphery of the innerguide tube 56 and the inner periphery of the outer guide tube 54. Thus,three independent materials, namely an outer material A, an intermediatematerial B, and an inner material C, can be guided into the centralguide column 5 via the opening 57 of the inner guide tube 56, thecommunication gap G1, and the communication gap G2.

A threaded collar 58 is provided at the bottom of the central guidecolumn 5 and configured for fixing an outer material guide column 581,an intermediate material guide column 582, and an inner material guidecolumn 583 to the output end of the central guide column 5, thusallowing the outer material A, the intermediate material B, and theinner material C to be output concentrically from the bottom of thecentral guide column 5. The output materials are intermittently clippedby the underlying clipping dies 59 to form three-layer filled foodproducts F.

Referring to FIG. 5, the upper cover 12 of the transmission box 11 has afront end formed with a dovetail block 14 corresponding in position tothe symmetrical pair of dovetail slots 52, 53 formed on the exterior ofthe central guide column 5. As shown in FIG. 8 to FIG. 10, the dovetailblock 14 can selectively slide into and be fixed in position to one ofthe dovetail slots 52, 53, thus allowing the central guide column 5 tochange its orientation by 180 degrees. As the outer guide tube 54 fixedinside the central guide column 5 has only one through hole 55, thethrough hole 5 and hence the communication gap G2 can be brought intocommunication with either the horizontal feeder 3 or the vertical feeder4 by changing the orientation of the central guide column 5 by 180degrees. Therefore, the positional relationship between the intermediatematerial B and the outer material A can be switched during production,and the feeding paths of the horizontal feeder 3 and the vertical feeder4 easily switched, by changing the orientation of the central guidecolumn 5 instead of changing the dough or filling inside the horizontalfeeder 3 or the vertical feeder 4.

1. A filling extruding machine with switchable horizontal and verticalfeeder paths for making three-layer filled food products, essentiallycomprising: a transmission box disposed on a support, wherein a firstdriving motor and a second driving motor are bilaterally provided belowthe transmission box, an upper cover is provided above the transmissionbox and has a front end provided with a dovetail block, and a pluralityof transmission gears and transmission mechanisms are provided in thetransmission box and connected to the first and second driving motors; avertical column disposed above the upper cover and adjacent to a centerthereof, wherein a beam extends above the vertical column and has an endprovided with a third driving motor, a first screw extends downward froma main shaft of the third driving motor into a central feeder, and afourth driving motor is provided below the vertical column; a horizontalfeeder disposed above the upper cover and on a side thereof, wherein thehorizontal feeder is provided therein with two second screws connectedto and driven by the first driving motor; a vertical feeder providedabove the upper cover and on a side thereof, wherein the vertical feederis provided therein with a third screw connected to and driven by thesecond driving motor; guiding devices which have input ends connected toan output end of the horizontal feeder and an output end of the verticalfeeder, respectively, and which have output connecting tubes connectedto and in communication with a central guide column; and the centralguide column formed as a hollow tube having an upper end, the upper endprovided with an upper cover plate and fixedly mounted with the centralfeeder, the central guide column externally and symmetrically providedwith a pair of dovetail slots, wherein an outer guide tube is disposedand fixed in the central guide column, and an inner guide tube isdisposed and fixed in the outer guide tube, the outer guide tube havinga tube wall formed with a through hole which corresponds in position tothe output connecting tubes of the guiding devices and is in selectivecommunication with one said output connecting tube, the inner guide tubehaving an opening in communication with an output hole at a bottom ofthe central feeder; wherein the dovetail block at the front end of theupper cover is configured for selectively sliding into and being fixedin position to one of the dovetail slots of the central guide column,thus allowing an orientation of the central guide column to be changedby 180 degrees; wherein by changing the orientation of the central guidecolumn by 180 degrees, the sole through hole of the outer guide tubefixed in the central guide column, and hence a communication gap G2, arebrought into communication with either the horizontal feeder or thevertical feeder; and wherein a positional relationship between anintermediate material and an outer material is switchable duringproduction, and feeding paths of the horizontal feeder and the verticalfeeder easily switchable, by changing the orientation of the centralguide column rather than changing a dough or a filling in the horizontalfeeder or the vertical feeder.
 2. The filling extruding machine of claim1, wherein the horizontal feeder has an output end provided with apressure-enhanced tumbling rod, the pressure-enhanced tumbling rodprovided longitudinally with cross-shaped slots for receiving two pairsof symmetric tumbling blades, respectively, the pressure-enhancedtumbling rod having two ends each mounted with an eccentric orbit ring,in which one said eccentric orbit ring is mounted with an eccentricorbit seat such that when the pressure-enhanced tumbling rod is rotated,the symmetric tumbling blades press against each other to provide anenhanced tumbling effect.
 3. The filling extruding machine of claim 1,wherein a tumbling rod is disposed in each said guiding device andperipherally provided with a plurality of tumbling blades, and thetumbling blades of the guiding devices are driven by the transmissionmechanisms connected to the first and second driving motors.
 4. Thefilling extruding machine of claim 1, wherein the central guide columnhas an inner surface provided with a curved block below the throughhole, a first communication gap is formed between an outer periphery ofthe outer guide tube, which is configured as a hollow tube, and an innerperiphery of the central guide column, and a second communication gap isformed between an outer periphery of the inner guide tube and the innerperiphery of the outer guide tube, thus allowing three independentmaterials, namely an outer material, the intermediate material, and theouter material, to be guided into the central guide column via theopening of the inner guide tube, the first communication gap, and thesecond communication gap.
 5. The filling extruding machine of claim 1,wherein the central guide column has a bottom provided with a threadedcollar for securing an outer material guide column, an intermediatematerial guide column, and an inner material guide column to an outputend of the central guide column, thus allowing an outer material, theintermediate material, and the outer material to be outputconcentrically from the bottom of the central guide column andintermittently clipped by underlying clipping dies so as to form thethree-layer filled food products.